A Morro Bay sport fishing boat operator has settled a dispute over relatively minor violations of fishing regulations, agreeing to pay thousands to get past the troubles.
District Attorney Dan Dow on Feb. 23, said his office had reached a settlement with Black Pearl Sportfishing LLC., the owner of the “Black Pearl” fishing vessel, and its operator, Brian Walker, for $12,600 to settle violations he said dated back to last summer.
“The Black Pearl charter boat service,” Dow said in a news release, “regularly takes dozens of paying passengers on deep-sea fishing trips along the coastal waters of San Luis Obispo County.”
The incident happened in the waters off San Simeon. “On July 12, 2025,” the release said, “California Department of Fish & Wildlife officers were on patrol in the Bluefin [patrol] vessel in foggy conditions near Piedras Blancas in San Luis Obispo County when they identified on radar a suspected boat drifting inside a restricted fishing area. The captain of the Bluefin lowered a small patrol boat and dispatched two officers to investigate.”
Getting help from the Bluefin to navigate the fog, the launch was able to find and identify the Black Pearl as the vessel inside the no fishing area.
The game wardens, “observed 20 customers fishing in waters seasonally prohibited to fishing,” the D.A. said. That original violation led to the discovery of others.
“Later, an audit by the CDFW of the electronic fish logs submitted to the State by the crew of the Black Pearl revealed it was not accurately recording the species of rock fish being caught by its passengers.”
The game wardens took their allegations to the D.A., and he contacted the Black Pearl’s owner.
“Black Pearl Sportfishing LLC, immediately took steps to come into compliance with reporting requirements by replacing the vessel’s computer hardware system and training the crew members in its usage.”
The D.A.’s Special Prosecutions Unit pressed the case using a civil litigation process, rather than a criminal case. Such fishing violations can be charged as either. The case was resolved in late January.
“On Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Craig Van Rooyen approved the settlement stipulation and issued an order that requires Black Pearl Sportfishing LLC, and Mr. Walker to pay $10,600 in civil penalties.
“They also agreed to pay $2,000 to the San Luis Obispo County Fish and Game Fund.”
That fund, fed by fines for Fish & Wildlife violations, is “exclusively used for programs and projects that benefit the fish and wildlife of San Luis Obispo County,” the D.A. said. The County’s Fish & Games Fines Advisory Committee advises the County Board of Supervisors on how to grant that money out to different projects.
Also, the settlement prohibits the boat from exceeding daily catch limits and “requires the boat’s crew to report the specific species of rockfish that its customers catch.”
Some fish species are difficult to tell one from another and sport boats have long lumped them together under the catchall category, “unspecified rockfish.”
D.A. Dow said, “Civil enforcement actions like this are essential to protect our precious marine resources and to make sure that everyone who does business on our coast plays by the same rules.
“By holding violators accountable, we safeguard the longterm sustainability of our coastal waters and ensure a fair marketplace for the many lawabiding commercial fishermen who depend on them.”
The Black Pearl responded in a Facebook post shortly after the D.A.’s announcement hit the news.
“The incident in question occurred during a drift in which the vessel was attempting to hold near the 300- foot mark, but with current and wind conditions drifted into about 320 feet of water which was beyond the regulatory limit in effect at that time. Though the captain had already called our anglers up and signaled a boat move, we take full responsibility for our obligation to maintain constant awareness of our vessel’s position relative to current fishing regulations, including in-season adjustments that may alter allowable fishing areas, and acknowledge our responsibility in insuring that at all times, regardless of conditions we maintain a position unquestionably within the proper boundary lines.”
The company added that this is the only violation the captain has had in over 40 years of professional fishing.
When they checked their equipment, they found a problem.
“During our internal review, we identified that certain onboard navigation and regulatory reference technology was outdated. That equipment has since been fully replaced and upgraded to ensure real-time accuracy and full compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations moving forward.”
Addressing the identification issues, “questions were raised regarding fish reporting classifications. Specifically, certain species of rockfish were recorded under the broader category of ‘unspecified rockfish’ rather than being itemized individually.
“While this has been a common reporting practice within the broader California sportfishing fleet, we acknowledge that regulatory expectations require precise species-by-species identification.”
They put the captain and crewmembers through some training to better identify the different species of fish.
That issue illustrates the complexity of fishing regulations, as the rules have been detailed down to when you can fish, where you can fish and what depth of water, how many fish you can catch, and even what fish species you can take. The regulations also differ in many aspects from one area of the state to another.
And the regulations can be changed at any time by either the State Fish & Game Commission, or the Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC). That’s the federal agency that regulates fishing on the West Coast. That aspect makes it a challenge to keep up to date with the current regulations for sport and commercial fishers, as well as the game wardens that do the enforcement.
The Pearl’s statement added that for them the ocean is more than just a place to earn a living.
“The ocean and its rich ecosystems are not just our workplace,” the post said, “they are our life and our passion. We deeply value the privilege of sharing these waters with our guests and community. Sustainable fishing practices, regulatory compliance, and responsible stewardship are foundational to who we are and how we operate.”
The issue with the Black Pearl marks at least the second time a local sport fishing boat has been dinged for much the same issues with tracking the fish passengers landed. Some time ago the Endeavor had similar issues with the catches by their passengers, and they too reached a civil settlement with the D.A.
The Black Pearl operates out of Morro Bay Landing. See the website at: www.blackpearlsportfishing.net to book a fishing trip online.
The rockfish season is slated to officially open April 1.
